When the Janitor Met the Kitten
by inthecompanyoflove
Summary: Will and Emma spend Halloween together and she opens up about her relationship with Carl and how it ended. Speculative for Season 3.  Also, a loose allusion to When Harry Met Sally, but seeing the film is in NO way necessary for understanding the story :


Emma was nervous.

She'd never been much for Halloween. As a small child, her parents forbade her and her brother from trick or treating because it was "too dangerous" for them to go out alone and they two, little Mr. and Mrs. Pillsbury, were easily frightened - the masks, the hooded capes, the long, goolish fingers, it was too much for them, and certainly too much for their children. After the accident, they let their son go, accompanied by school friends, but Emma refused. Even now, at 31, Emma remembered the bumble bee costume her mother made for her the Halloween after it happened. Tiny and delicate she wore a black leotard with yellow sequins and a tutu, little yellow stingers stuck on her headband. Once, years later, before her daughter started college, Mrs. Pillsbury had shown Emma a picture, hoping to reconnect with her daughter in some small way. Emma smile, tight lipped, looking at the faded polaroid. Her big brown eyes were wide and full of fear, discomfort, and her little shoulders were slouched. Little Emma was scared, a feeling that wouldn't leave her for a long time.

And now she was here. Standing in the hallway of her small apartment, judging herself in her full length mirror. When Will asked her out for Halloween, she'd said yes, but hadn't imagined anything like this. A scary movie before dinner, maybe, but more likely a quiet night at his place and a home cooked dinner. That's what they usually did, since they'd begun seeing each other again. _Again_. It scared her, sometimes, remembering what happened between the time they'd stopped seeing each other and started again. Other people, a marriage - she felt her face getting red just thinking about it - and an anullment. _Anullment_. She remembered telling Will about it, running up to him in the hallway, grabbing his arm. The contact itself she relished, the smooth material of his button up under her palm, his bicep flexing in reflex. He looked so confused, a flash of mute pain in his blue eyes, and she just wanted to see him smile again, wanted so badly for him to look at her the way he used to.

_"It's annulled." She said, no 'hello', 'no how are you'. No explanation for their lack of communication in the weeks prior, the lonely lunches they'd both spent miserable in their classrooms. He'd blinked, surprised, still so unsure. He opened his mouth, an 'I'm sorry' on his lips, but she stopped him. Her lips pressed against his, rushed, unplanned, warm and soft. At first he was frozen but as her lips moved against his, still closed, still light, but with feeling, he responded, leaning in to her. _

_She'd pulled back first, her face inches from his. "I-I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't mean for - I didn't want to - " So many other women, she imagined, in his arms, kissing him, replacing her after she'd replaced him. What if it was too late? If he didn't want her anymore? But he did. He pressed his forehead against hers, and smiled. She'd smiled back._

And here she was. They'd gone out a few times since that Friday afternoon, almost two weeks ago, but they hadn't spoken of it again. They spoke little during their time together, choosing instead to enjoy the silence, get used to one another at the start of their new understanding, their new connection. They kept their mouths to themselves for the most part, choosing instead to trace each other's palms, smell the shampoo in each other's hair. It was different, not what either of them would have expected, but good in its own unique way.

She shook, a little, staring at herself in the mirror still. She'd been so nervous picking out her costume for the party, taking care to pick and prod her way through racks upon racks, still wearing her plastic gloves. She tried on numerous costumes - little red riding hood,_ The Little Mermaid'_s Ariel, even little orphan Annie, but instead settled on something which didn't rely on fiery red locks: a cat.

A kitten, she decided, adjusting her little ears in the mirror. She wore a pale pink leotard, which, albeit flattering, hugged her figure a little too tightly for some audiences, so she slipped a a matching short sleeved top over it. Her shorts, black, with little pink cats on them, reached her mid thigh. A cat tail poked out of her bottom and on her feet were round toed heels, the same pink as her top with, big bows on the tops. In a moment of impulse, she took sharpies and drew smiling cat faces across the toe. Across her face were delicate whiskers and around her neck was a small cat token hanging from a thin gold chain. "Meow," she said into the mirror, trying to sound flirty, but her voice trembled with nerves.

Admittedly, she wasn't very excited about tonight. Excited about seeing Will, certainly, but not exactly about what they were doing. A party, he'd said, and when she pressed, lightly, for where and with whom, he told her it was a surprise. She figured it was a little bit of payback, making her squirm, testing how much she'd improved with her OCD. Carl'd done similar things, pushing her limits -_ if you really love me, you'll do this, you'd want to make things better. _She shook her head, trying to will away the thoughts, when she heard a knock on the door.

"Coming!" She called, jumping a little. In truth, she was close to the door, but suddenly she was even more self-conscious. He refused to tell her what he was going as, even avoiding her efforts to coordinate. Now, she was more nervous than ever. What would he go as? A sexy rockstar? A model? And here she was, nervous little Emma, the kitten.

Letting out a deep breath, she twisted the knob in her hand and forced a smile onto her lips. This was Will. In the depth of her heart, she knew she loved him, and that these awkward moments would happen while they got to know each other again. Just part of the process, she reminded herself, swinging the door open.

"Will!" She meant to say "Hello!" but in her shock, his name came out instead. He stood before her, wearing a dark blue shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans. At first she didn't think he was even in costume, then her eyes focused on his white text on his breast pocket read Will and she remembered: his janitor's shirt.

He laughed. "Em! You look... Wow. I take it you didn't get my text?" He grinned and glanced at her outfit before turning a little pink himself. She shook her head and he continued, "I know we agreed on the party, but I called a few hours ago and things already seemed a little crazy there... I figured it would be best if you and I stayed in; I know how messy those things can get with alcohol involved." She nodded and felt red blossom on her face.

He gestured to his side and she noticed the brown paper bag for the first time. "I, uh, I brought dinner instead, I thought maybe you'd want to stay at your place? If not, it's cool, I mean, I know I kind of bailed on our plans last minute..." He looked at his feet, embarrassed, and she finally spoke.

"No, no, Will, it's totally fine; I haven't looked at my phone in hours." I was too busy staring at myself in the mirror, she almost said, but restrained herself. "Come in, please." I've been waiting for this chance for years, she almost said, but she let the words bubble and pop in her mouth instead.

He grinned again. "Good. I tried something new for dinner, but I won't be offended if you don't like it." He stepped inside and slipped off his shoes without being asked. Emma beamed but tried to stay calm.

"I'll lead you to the kitchen."

She stood in her tights, the linoleum cool beneath her feet. He settled the bag on the table and began removing the contents. "Eggplant parm," he said, as she settled the plates and silverware. She tensed, but tried not to panic: he must have forgotten about her little issue with dairy.

"Don't worry, it's vegan." He smiled again and for the first time that night she noticed how nervous he looked. She smiled back and reached her hand out, her fingers hovering loosely above his. He raised his and took her fingers lightly.

"Thank you," she whispered. He nodded and squeezed a little tighter.

"I suppose I should change, then?" She giggled, awkwardly, and nodded to her torso.

Will kept smiling and shrugged. "It's up to you, Em, but_ I _think you look adorable." He reached up and touched his fingertip to her nose. She gasped and remembered the first time he'd done this, almost two years ago, and felt shivers flow through her.

"Twenty seconds, kitten." He whispered and kissed her forehead.

"New record." She breathed.

Their dinner went well. They sat across her small table, eating slowly, dabbing at their mouths with napkins and sipping warm tea. Will's with two sugars, Emma's, straight. They didn't talk much, as usual, and Emma tried her hardest to contain her questions.

"This is the real reason why I came," Will joked, once, holding out his tea cup. She giggled and he winked.

When they were done Will helped her clear the table, Emma cleaning the dishes by hand and letting Will dry. She thanked him several times for preparing the meal and he assured her it was nothing.

They sat on the couch when they were done, hands folded neatly in their laps. "I'm glad you agreed to see me tonight," he said and tentatively leaned back into the couch, laying his arm across the top.

She nodded and leaned back into the couch, feeling the weight of his arm on the fabric above her. "I'm glad you offered."

He moved his arm down around her shoulders. "Is this okay?" He looked nervous.

She nodded. "More than okay."

"I brought a movie," he offered, fidgeting his legs. "I was pretty sure you're not much of a gore girl..." He chuckled while she shook her head furiously, her kitten ears bouncing on top of her hair, and continued, "so I brought something a little lighter." He pulled out a copy of _When Harry Met Sally _and winked again. "Is this more up your alley?" She giggled and showed him how to use the DVD player.

Both had seen the film before but neither mentioned the similarities between theirs and the one depicted in the comedy - friends who help each other through obstacles and fall in and out love along the way. Will placed his arm back around her shoulders, lightly, at first, until she leaned her head against his shoulder and he squeezed her a little tighter. She couldn't stop smiling.

Around the time Meg Ryan's famous orgasm scene occurred, Emma felt herself blush. She still hadn't told Will the details of why she and Carl had ended and figured now was as good an opportunity as any. She shifted and faced him but avoided meeting his eye. Will paused the movie and held her shoulders, lightly.

"We can fast forward through this part," he said softly, offering a small smile. Emma glanced into his eyes and saw care and concern. She smiled back a little and shook her head.

"That's sweet, but no, it's not the movie. I... I have to tell you something," she began, focusing her large eyes on his breast pocket. Will. This was her Will she was talking to, he deserved to know the truth. She focused on breathing in and out several times before continuing. "Carl and I... We were married."

He nodded, tense, and wondered where this was going. He had an idea, and it made his stomach turn, but there was nothing he could do to about that now except for accepting it and not holding it against her.

"We.. " She sighed and felt herself turn scarlet.

"I think I know what you're going to say, Em, and it's okay, it doesn't change anything between us now."

"No, no, Will, it does... I need to be honest with you." He opened his mouth to speak again. "Carl and I... we didn't... I couldn't... " She blushed darker and felt her voice go into a whisper. "We weren't intimate, even after the wedding."

Will nodded, slowly, and pressed his forehead against hers.

"It's how I was able to annull it... because we never..." She was trembling now and he wrapped his arms around her back.

"Em..." It was more than Will could have wished for, but he knew he had to be sensitive to how difficult this was for Emma to talk about.

"I couldn't do it, Will, I just couldn't... I loved you, you know, even then." She met his eyes and he restrained a gasp building in his throat. "Even when I married him... I loved you, and I couldn't... I couldn't love him in that way. So... so that's when it fell apart, I guess, when he figured it out and I.. I couldn't deny it..." Her eyes dropped and he pressed his lips against her forehead again, unable to find words.

"I... I don't want us to rush things this time, Will, I really don't, but I do love you and I just want everything to be okay."

He nodded and cupped her face in his hands. He kissed the tip of her nose and waited for her to meet his eye. When she did, they were full of warmth, but also nerves. "It's okay, Em... You know how I feel about you, right?"

She shrugged a little, and nodded. "I think so."

"And how is that?"

She smiled. "I make really good tea."

He laughed and tweaked her cat ears. "That, and I happen to love everything else about you, too."

AN: I've been pretty down about Wemma lately, but I got this idea out of nowhere and I had to get it down. Although I have no verification of this whatsoever, if Wemma is endgame, I think an annullment because Carl and Emma didn't sleep together is a feasible road for the show to go down on. Otherwise, I'm not sure how they'll handle it. Anyway, feedback is always appreciated!


End file.
